U.S. patent number 9,213,421 [Application Number 13/660,343] was granted by the patent office on 2015-12-15 for electronic device and method of displaying information in response to detecting a gesture.
This patent grant is currently assigned to BlackBerry Limited. The grantee listed for this patent is Nils Roger Andersson Reimer, Michael George Langlois, Donald James Lindsay. Invention is credited to Nils Roger Andersson Reimer, Michael George Langlois, Donald James Lindsay.
United States Patent |
9,213,421 |
Langlois , et al. |
December 15, 2015 |
Electronic device and method of displaying information in response
to detecting a gesture
Abstract
A gesture is detected by an electronic device including a
display. In response to detecting a first part of the gesture, a
first part of first information is displayed on the display. In
response to detecting a second part of the gesture subsequent to
the first part of the gesture, the display of the first part of the
first information is maintained. In response to detecting a third
part of the gesture subsequent to the second part of the gesture,
an additional part of the information is displayed.
Inventors: |
Langlois; Michael George
(Ottawa, CA), Andersson Reimer; Nils Roger (Malmo,
SE), Lindsay; Donald James (Mountainview, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Langlois; Michael George
Andersson Reimer; Nils Roger
Lindsay; Donald James |
Ottawa
Malmo
Mountainview |
N/A
N/A
CA |
CA
SE
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
BlackBerry Limited (Waterloo,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
47745540 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/660,343 |
Filed: |
October 25, 2012 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20130055170 A1 |
Feb 28, 2013 |
|
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
13036186 |
Feb 28, 2011 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
3/0338 (20130101); G06F 1/1626 (20130101); H04M
1/7243 (20210101); G06F 3/04883 (20130101); G06F
3/0202 (20130101); G06F 3/016 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
3/00 (20060101); G06F 3/01 (20060101); G06F
1/16 (20060101); G06F 3/0338 (20130101); G06F
3/02 (20060101); H04M 1/725 (20060101); G06F
3/0488 (20130101); G06F 3/041 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;715/863 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2015176 |
|
Jan 2009 |
|
EP |
|
2045700 |
|
Apr 2009 |
|
EP |
|
2068236 |
|
Jun 2009 |
|
EP |
|
2109030 |
|
Oct 2009 |
|
EP |
|
2383636 |
|
Nov 2011 |
|
EP |
|
2458493 |
|
May 2012 |
|
EP |
|
2485138 |
|
Aug 2012 |
|
EP |
|
10-2008-0041809 |
|
May 2008 |
|
KR |
|
10-2009-0036578 |
|
Apr 2009 |
|
KR |
|
10-2010-0032660 |
|
Mar 2010 |
|
KR |
|
2004051451 |
|
Jun 2004 |
|
WO |
|
2009097555 |
|
Aug 2009 |
|
WO |
|
2009120925 |
|
Oct 2009 |
|
WO |
|
2010040670 |
|
Apr 2010 |
|
WO |
|
2012097385 |
|
Jul 2012 |
|
WO |
|
2012128795 |
|
Sep 2012 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
"User Guide" Samsung Epic 4G, A Galaxy S Phone, Sprint Oct. 8,
2010, pp. 268. cited by applicant .
http://www.evernote.com/peek/ Retrieved Aug. 27, 2012, 2 pages.
cited by applicant .
Levesque, et al., Frictional Widgets: Enhancing Touch Interfaces
with Programmable Friction, published CHI 2011, ACM
978-1-4503-0268-5/11/05, May 7-12, 2011, 6 pages. cited by
applicant .
http://www.jimblackler.net/blog/?p=67/ "QuickCalendar, an
application for Android written in Java" Retrieved Oct. 18, 2012, 6
pages. cited by applicant .
Apple, iOS: Understanding Notifications,
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3576[Oct. 18, 2012 6:05:38 PM], last
modified Sep. 19, 2012, 3 pages. cited by applicant .
Google, Android 2.3 User's Guide, AUG-2.3-103 Android.TM. mobile
technology platform 2.3, Dec. 13, 2010, 380 pages (English Language
Version). cited by applicant .
Google, Android 2.3 User's Guide, AUG-2.3-103-KO Android.TM. mobile
technology platform 2.3, Dec. 13, 2010, 368 pages (Korean Language
Version). cited by applicant .
Microsoft, "Cross Sliding State enumeration", internet article,
http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/windows.ui.input-
.crosslidingstate , Retrieved Sep. 4, 2012, 2 pages. cited by
applicant .
http://www.gigaom.com/2011/10/12/ios-5-notifications-and-notification-cent-
er/, Retrieved May 2, 2013, Asch, Josh, "iOS 5: Notifications and
Notification Center", Tech News and Analysis, Oct. 12, 2011, four
pages. cited by applicant .
International Searching Authority, International Search Report and
Written Opinion issued in related International Application No.
PCT/US2013/020649, dated Apr. 29, 2013, 14 pages. cited by
applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Shih; Haoshian
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Greenberg, Esq.; Steven M. Moka,
Esq.; Gary CRGO Law
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This patent application is a continuation-in-part of and claims
priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/036,186, filed on
Feb. 28, 2011, titled "ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF DISPLAYING
INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO INPUT," the contents of which
application is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising: presenting a list of messages on a display
of an electronic device, the messages managed by a messaging
application executing on the electronic device; detecting a gesture
performed on the display; in response to detecting the gesture,
scrolling the list of messages and displaying at least one calendar
event on the display and a reduced list of the messages, the at
least one calendar event managed by a calendar application
executing on the electronic device; detecting continuation of the
gesture after displaying the at least one calendar event and the
reduced list of messages; and when continuation of the gesture
meets a threshold, displaying additional calendar events adjacent
to the at least one calendar event on the display of the electronic
device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of messages comprises a
most-recent message presented adjacent to a first side of a banner
indicating at least one of a date and time and the at least one
calendar event is presented adjacent to a second side of the
banner.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to
detecting a second gesture, scrolling the list of messages and
displaying at least one missed call on the display and a reduced
list of the messages, the at least missed call managed by a caller
application executing on the electronic device.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to
detecting a second gesture, scrolling the list of messages and
displaying at least one task and a reduced list of the messages,
the at least one task managed by a task application executing on
the electronic device.
5. An electronic device, comprising: memory storing program
instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the
electronic device to: present a list of messages on a display of
the electronic device, the messages managed by a messaging
application executing on the electronic device; detect a gesture
performed on the display; in response to detecting the gesture,
scroll the list of messages and display at least one calendar event
on the display and a reduced list of the messages, the at least one
calendar event managed by a calendar application executing on the
electronic device; detect continuation of the gesture after
displaying the at least one calendar event and the reduced list of
messages; and when continuation of the gesture meets a threshold,
display additional calendar events adjacent to the at least one
calendar event on the display of the electronic device.
6. A non-transitory memory medium storing program instructions,
that when executed by a processor, cause an electronic device to:
present a list of messages on a display of the electronic device,
the messages managed by a messaging application executing on the
electronic device; detect a gesture performed on the display; in
response to detecting the gesture, scroll the list of messages and
display at least one calendar event on the display and a reduced
list of the messages, the at least one calendar event managed by a
calendar application executing on the electronic device; detect
continuation of the gesture after displaying the at least one
calendar event and the reduced list of messages; and when
continuation of the gesture meets a threshold, display additional
calendar events adjacent to the at least one calendar event on the
display of the electronic device.
Description
FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY
The present disclosure relates to electronic devices, including but
not limited to, portable electronic devices having touch-sensitive
displays and their control.
BACKGROUND
Electronic devices, including portable electronic devices, have
gained widespread use and may provide a variety of functions
including, for example, telephonic, electronic messaging and other
personal information manager (PIM) application functions. Portable
electronic devices include, for example, several types of mobile
stations such as simple cellular telephones, smart telephones,
wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs), and laptop computers
with wireless 802.11 or Bluetooth capabilities.
Portable electronic devices such as PDAs or smart telephones are
generally intended for handheld use and ease of portability.
Smaller devices are generally desirable for portability. A
touch-sensitive display, also known as a touchscreen display, is
particularly useful on handheld devices, which are small and have
limited space for user input and output. The information displayed
on the touch-sensitive displays may be modified depending on the
functions and operations being performed. With continued demand for
decreased size of portable electronic devices, touch-sensitive
displays continue to decrease in size.
Improvements in devices with touch-sensitive displays are
desirable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device in
accordance with the disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of a portable electronic device
with a mechanical actuator in accordance with the disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a portable electronic device
with a depressed mechanical actuator in accordance with the
disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of a portable electronic device
with piezoelectric actuators in accordance with the disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of a portable electronic device
with depressed piezoelectric actuators in accordance with the
disclosure.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of displaying
information for a plurality of applications in accordance with the
disclosure.
FIG. 7, FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11 illustrate examples of
displaying information for a plurality of applications in
accordance with the disclosure.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of displaying
information in response to a gesture in accordance with the
disclosure.
FIG. 13 through FIG. 24 illustrate examples of displaying
information in response to a gesture in accordance with the
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following describes an apparatus for and method of displaying
information for a plurality of applications. While information for
one application is displayed, a gesture is detected, and
information for another application is displayed at an end of the
original application. For example, while in an email application,
when the gesture is detected, information associated with a
calendar is displayed after the email application information is
displayed. Thus, a user is provided with a quick way to open an
additional application or preview information from the additional
application without having to navigate to select an icon or enter a
menu. The information may be displayed on any electronic device,
including, for example, a portable electronic device.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, reference numerals may
be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or
analogous elements. Numerous details are set forth to provide an
understanding of the embodiments described herein. The embodiments
may be practiced without these details. In other instances,
well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been
described in detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments described.
The description is not to be considered as limited to the scope of
the embodiments described herein.
The disclosure generally relates to an electronic device, which is
a portable electronic device in the embodiments described herein.
Examples of portable electronic devices include mobile, or
handheld, wireless communication devices such as pagers, cellular
phones, cellular smart-phones, wireless organizers, personal
digital assistants, wirelessly enabled notebook computers, tablet
computers, and so forth. The portable electronic device may also be
a portable electronic device without wireless communication
capabilities, such as a handheld electronic game device, digital
photograph album, digital camera, or other device.
A block diagram of an example of a portable electronic device 100
is shown in FIG. 1. The portable electronic device 100 includes
multiple components, such as a processor 102 that controls the
overall operation of the portable electronic device 100.
Communication functions, including data and voice communications,
are performed through a communication subsystem 104. Data received
by the portable electronic device 100 is decompressed and decrypted
by a decoder 106. The communication subsystem 104 receives messages
from and sends messages to a wireless network 150. The wireless
network 150 may be any type of wireless network, including, but not
limited to, data wireless networks, voice wireless networks, and
networks that support both voice and data communications. A power
source 142, such as one or more rechargeable batteries or a port to
an external power supply, powers the portable electronic device
100.
The processor 102 interacts with other components, such as Random
Access Memory (RAM) 108, memory 110, a display 112 with a
touch-sensitive overlay 114 operably coupled to an electronic
controller 116 that together comprise a touch-sensitive display
118, one or more actuators 120, one or more force sensors 122, an
auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystem 124, a data port 126, a
speaker 128, a microphone 130, short-range communications 132, and
other device subsystems 134. User-interaction with a graphical user
interface is performed through the touch-sensitive overlay 114. The
processor 102 interacts with the touch-sensitive overlay 114 via
the electronic controller 116. Information, such as text,
characters, symbols, images, icons, and other items that may be
displayed or rendered on a portable electronic device, is displayed
on the touch-sensitive display 118 via the processor 102. The
processor 102 may interact with an accelerometer 136 that may be
utilized to detect direction of gravitational forces or
gravity-induced reaction forces.
To identify a subscriber for network access, the portable
electronic device 100 uses a Subscriber Identity Module or a
Removable User Identity Module (SIM/RUIM) card 138 for
communication with a network, such as the wireless network 150.
Alternatively, user identification information may be programmed
into memory 110.
The portable electronic device 100 includes an operating system 146
and software programs or components 148 that are executed by the
processor 102 and are typically stored in a persistent, updatable
store such as the memory 110. Additional applications or programs
may be loaded onto the portable electronic device 100 through the
wireless network 150, the auxiliary I/O subsystem 124, the data
port 126, the short-range communications subsystem 132, or any
other suitable subsystem 134.
A received signal such as a text message, an e-mail message, or web
page download is processed by the communication subsystem 104 and
input to the processor 102. The processor 102 processes the
received signal for output to the display 112 and/or to the
auxiliary I/O subsystem 124. A subscriber may generate data items,
for example e-mail messages, which may be transmitted over the
wireless network 150 through the communication subsystem 104. For
voice communications, the overall operation of the portable
electronic device 100 is similar. The speaker 128 outputs audible
information converted from electrical signals, and the microphone
130 converts audible information into electrical signals for
processing.
The touch-sensitive display 118 may be any suitable touch-sensitive
display, such as a capacitive, resistive, infrared, surface
acoustic wave (SAW) touch-sensitive display, strain gauge, optical
imaging, dispersive signal technology, acoustic pulse recognition,
and so forth, as known in the art. A capacitive touch-sensitive
display includes a capacitive touch-sensitive overlay 114. The
overlay 114 may be an assembly of multiple layers in a stack
including, for example, a substrate, a ground shield layer, a
barrier layer, one or more capacitive touch sensor layers separated
by a substrate or other barrier, and a cover. The capacitive touch
sensor layers may be any suitable material, such as patterned
indium tin oxide (ITO).
One or more touches, also known as touch contacts or touch events,
may be detected by the touch-sensitive display 118. The processor
102 may determine attributes of the touch, including a location of
a touch. Touch location data may include an area of contact or a
single point of contact, such as a point at or near a center of the
area of contact. A signal is provided to the controller 116 in
response to detection of a touch. A touch may be detected from any
suitable contact member, such as a finger, thumb, appendage, or
other objects, for example, a stylus, pen, or other pointer,
depending on the nature of the touch-sensitive display 118.
Multiple simultaneous touches may be detected.
One or more actuators 120 may be depressed or activated by applying
sufficient force to the touch-sensitive display 118 to overcome the
actuation force of the actuator 120. The actuator(s) 120 may be
actuated by pressing anywhere on the touch-sensitive display 118.
The actuator(s) 120 may provide input to the processor 102 when
actuated. Actuation of the actuator(s) 120 may result in provision
of tactile feedback. When force is applied, the touch-sensitive
display 118 is depressible, pivotable, and/or movable. Such a force
may actuate the actuator(s) 120. The touch-sensitive display 118
may, for example, float with respect to the housing of the portable
electronic device, i.e., the touch-sensitive display 118 may not be
fastened to the housing. The actuator may be any suitable actuator,
including mechanical and/or electrical actuators.
A sectional side view of a portable electronic device 100 with a
mechanical actuator 120 is shown in FIG. 2. The cross section is
taken through the center of the actuator 120. The portable
electronic device 100 includes a housing 202 that encloses
components such as shown in FIG. 1. A base 210 extends between the
sidewalls of the housing and supports the actuator 120, which is a
mechanical dome switch actuator in the example of FIG. 2. For a
mechanical dome switch/actuator, tactile feedback is provided when
the dome collapses due to imparted force and when the dome
switch/actuator returns to the rest position after release of the
switch.
Alternatively, the actuator 120 may comprise one or more
piezoelectric (piezo) devices 402 that provide tactile feedback for
the touch-sensitive display 118. Contraction of the piezo actuator
120 applies a spring-like force, for example, opposing a force
externally applied to the touch-sensitive display 118. Each piezo
actuator includes a piezoelectric device 402, such as a
piezoelectric ceramic disk adhered to a substrate 404 that may
comprise metal and/or another flexible or elastically deformable
material. The substrate 404 bends when the piezo device 402
contracts due to charge/voltage across the piezo device 402 or in
response to a force, such as an external force applied to the
touch-sensitive display 118. The charge/voltage may be adjusted by
varying the applied voltage or current, thereby controlling the
force applied by the piezo device 402. The charge/voltage may
advantageously be removed over a relatively short period of time to
provide tactile feedback. An element 408 and an optional force
sensor 122 may be disposed between the piezo actuator 402 and the
touch-sensitive display 118 to facilitate actuation of the piezo
actuator and/or the optional force sensors 122. The piezo actuators
120 may be controlled to provide various forms of tactile feedback,
for example, a vibration to notify of an incoming call or text
message or simulation of a dome switch upon depression of the
touch-sensitive display 118.
The touch-sensitive display 118 is moveable and depressible with
respect to the housing 202, and is shown floating with respect to,
i.e., not fastened to, the housing 202 in the examples of FIG. 2
through FIG. 5. As the touch-sensitive display 118 moves toward the
base 210, the actuator 120 is depressed or actuated as shown in
FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, for example, in response to a force 302, 502
applied to the touch-sensitive display 118. The processor 102
receives a signal when the actuator 120 is depressed or actuated,
which signal may trigger a selection or other input to the portable
electronic device 100.
Force information related to a detected touch may be utilized to
select information, such as information associated with a location
of a touch. For example, a touch that does not meet a force
threshold may highlight a selection option, whereas a touch that
meets a force threshold may select or input that selection option.
Selection options include, for example, displayed or virtual keys
of a keyboard; selection boxes or windows, e.g., "cancel,"
"delete," or "unlock"; function buttons, such as play or stop on a
music player; and so forth. Different magnitudes of force may be
associated with different functions or input. For example, a lesser
force may result in panning, and a higher force may result in
zooming. Force as utilized throughout the specification, including
the claims, refers to force measurements, estimates, and/or
calculations, such as pressure, deformation, stress, strain, force
density, force-area relationships, thrust, torque, and other
effects that include force or related quantities.
Typically, when a user views information while in an application on
a portable electronic device 100, information for that application
alone is displayed in the window, also known as a field, where the
application is open or launched. As described below, that same
window may be utilized to at least temporarily display information
from one or more additional sources or applications. Given the
relatively small area available for display on a portable
electronic device 100, the window is typically the display area,
except for area that may be utilized as a header, a footer, and so
forth. Unlike larger computer monitors, viewing information on
existing portable devices for two applications is typically
performed by displaying one application at a time due to the
smaller display size. As described below, the same window or
display area may be utilized to continuously view information from
multiple sources, such as applications. For example, while received
emails are displayed, a user may need to view future actions, such
as calendar events or tasks. When an appropriate input, such as a
gesture is received, upcoming calendar events may be viewed
continuously with the emails as described below. For example,
emails displayed with the most recently received email on top may
be viewed effectively continuously with the nearest calendar event
displayed on the bottom or nearest to the most recently received
email. Information from multiple sources or applications may be
displayed in a single window or field, where information may be
combined in a useful manner, such as by time, by contact, by other
parameter or category, and so forth. For example, a single stream
of information can be viewed in chronological order, with the
future actions being optionally selected for viewing.
A flowchart illustrating a method of displaying information for a
plurality of applications of an electronic device is shown in FIG.
6. The method may be carried out by software executed, for example,
by the processor 102. Coding of software for carrying out such a
method is within the scope of a person of ordinary skill in the art
given the present description. The method may contain additional or
fewer processes than shown and/or described, and may be performed
in a different order. Computer-readable code executable by at least
one processor of the portable electronic device to perform the
method may be stored in a computer-readable medium, device, or
apparatus, which may be a non-transitory or tangible storage
medium.
Information associated with a first source, such as a first
application, referred to as first information, is displayed 602 on
a display, for example, on a touch-sensitive display 118. The
information may be information associated with any suitable source
or application, such as email, text messaging, calendar, tasks,
address book or contacts, media player, or any other suitable
application in which information is displayed by an electronic
device 100. Information associated with email may include a list of
email messages, information associated with a calendar may include
meeting schedule, calendar day view, week view, month view, or
agenda view, information associated with an address book may
include a listing of contacts, information associated with a media
player may include text, pictures, videos, or artwork related to
music or other media. The information is not limited to the
examples provided.
An input, such as a gesture, is detected 604. Detection of the
input triggers display of information for a second source, such as
a second application. The second application may be any suitable
application, such as described above. The information associated
with the second application is also described above. The input may
be considered to be a command associated with a second application,
which command requests or causes at least some information
associated with the second source or application to be
displayed.
An appropriate input is advantageously assigned as the input such
that unintentional display of information associated with the
second source or application is avoided. Thus, the input, such as a
gesture, is associated with the second source or application. The
input may be associated with a specific location, such as a side or
corner of the touch-sensitive display 118, or a displayed element,
such as a special indicator, e.g., a ghosted symbol or word, or a
header for an application, e.g., the header "FRIDAY May 7 10:50 a"
as shown in FIG. 7, and end of the displayed information associated
with the first application, and so forth. The input may be a
gesture having detectable attributes or characteristics, such as
movement, direction, change in direction, shape, duration, length,
force, speed, time associated with a given location as with a
hover, number of simultaneous touch locations, number of taps, use
in conjunction with a physical key, button, or other input device,
and so forth. The input may be depression of a touch-sensitive
display 118 that actuates an actuator 120, such as described above.
The input may be provided while any end of the information
associated with the first application is displayed. The input may
be provided by selection from a menu. The input may be any
combination of the above.
A few examples of an input are as follows. The input may be a
gesture that extends substantially from one end of the display 118
to an opposite end of the display 118, such the swipe 804 shown in
FIG. 8. The gesture may alternatively move across the narrow part
of the display 118, e.g., at a right angle to the swipe 804 shown
in FIG. 8. The input may be a hover or other gesture that remains
associated with a specific location for a period of time, such as
the sustained touch 904 at a location associated with a corner of
the touch-sensitive display 118 where part of the header for the
email application is displayed as shown in the example of FIG. 9.
The input, such as a gesture, may be provided while any end of the
information associated with the first application is displayed. The
input may be associated with any end of the first information, such
as the beginning of the information, the last part of the
information, or a side of the information, such as the left side or
right side of the displayed information, such as shown in FIG. 10.
The input may be a compound gesture, for example, a touch sustained
at a specific location, such as a corner or side of the display,
while a swipe is detected. When the input is a gesture, the gesture
need not be limited to a gesture input via an input device, e.g., a
touch-sensitive display, optical joystick, and so forth, but may
include other types of gestures such as 3D gestures or physical
gestures involving movement of the electronic device 100.
Information associated with the second source, such as an
application, referred to as second information, is displayed 606.
The second information may be displayed at any end of the first
information. For example, the second information may be displayed
at the end of the first information that is displayed when the
gesture is detected 604. In another example, the second information
may be displayed at the end of the first information that is
associated with the gesture, such as the left or right side of the
display, such as shown in FIG. 10. The second information may be
scrolled through after scrolling through the first information. For
example, when a swipe begins on the display 118 and proceeds at
least to any end of the display 118, the first information and the
second information may be scrolled through substantially
contiguously. Thus, both the first information and the second
information may be displayed in a continuous stream of information,
and information for two or more applications may be displayed at
the same time. The second information may be displayed in any
order, including chronological, reverse chronological,
alphabetical, reverse alphabetical, most often accessed, and so
forth. The information from two or more sources, such as
applications, may be combined and displayed, rather than appending
the information together.
The second information may be a preview of information, e.g., a
subset of all the second information. For example, when the second
application is email, the last five emails may be displayed, when
the second application is an address book, the ten most often
accessed contacts may be displayed, and so forth. The preview may
be displayed without opening or launching the second application,
in which case the previewed information may be retrieved from
stored information and/or information received via a communication
network 150. Alternatively, the second application may be launched
or opened upon detection of the gesture.
The second information may continue 608 to be displayed, including
scrolled through, as long as any second information remains on the
display 112. For example, after all the second information has
scrolled off the display 112, the first information, and not the
second information, is displayed until a subsequent detection of an
appropriate input, such as a gesture described above. In other
words, when the input is not detected, scrolling through the first
information stops when the end of the information is displayed,
e.g., at an end of the display 112.
The second information may continue to be displayed for a
predetermined time period, such as 5 or 10 seconds, which time
period may be selected by a user and stored in a user profile.
Second information may alternatively be discontinued 608 when an
input, similar to or dissimilar to the gesture at 604, is detected.
For example, if a clockwise circular gesture triggers display of
the second information, a counter-clockwise circular gesture may
discontinue display of the second information.
The present method may optionally be applied to two or more
applications in addition to the first application. For example,
once the second information is scrolled through, information
associated with a third application may be displayed upon detection
of an appropriate input, much the same way the second information
is displayed when an input is detected during display of first
information. Any number of applications may be displayed by
repeating the process. For example, a long swipe during display of
first information results in display of second information, and a
second long swipe during display of the second information results
is display of third information. Alternatively, a single input may
display information from any number of sources or applications.
Alternatively, a different application may be associated with
different ends of the information. For example, a gesture
associated with the newest displayed emails may result in display
of calendar information, a gesture associated with the oldest
displayed emails may result in display of an address book, a
gesture associated with the left side of the displayed emails may
result in display of tasks, and a gesture associated with the right
side of the displayed emails may result in display of media player
controls.
A user profile may be utilized to store various options associated
with the method, which options may be selected by a user. For
example, a user may select which application opens when information
for a given application is displayed. When multiple applications
are opened or multiple sources of information are accessed, the
order of the applications or sources may be stored. Applications
associated with different ends of any source or application may be
selected and stored. The input that triggers secondary source or
application display may be selected and stored, for example, a
hover, a swipe, a circle gesture, and so forth. A time duration for
detection of a gesture may be stored in the profile. Time of
display of the second information may be selected by the user and
stored. How much information is displayed from a second source or
application may be stored and selected, e.g., how many emails,
contacts, logged phone calls, and so forth. When a second (which
may be opened later than the first application) application is
previewed or opened or launched. Options related to how the
information is displayed may be included in the profile, including
end-to-end display, combination of sources, order of combined
sources such as chronological or time order, and so forth. Any
other information related to the method may optionally be selected
and stored in the user profile.
Examples of displaying information for a plurality of applications
are shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11. Although
these examples show information displayed for an email application
when the input is detected, any application may be displayed. While
email application information 702 is displayed in FIG. 7, an input
comprising a downward swipe 704 that begins at the end of the email
information causes calendar information 706 to be displayed at that
end of the email information.
While email application information 702 is displayed in FIG. 8, an
input comprising an upward swipe 804 that begins at the bottom end
of the touch-sensitive display 118 and ends at the opposite end of
the touch-sensitive display 118 causes calendar information 806 to
be displayed at that end of the email information, which is the
bottom end of the email information in this example.
The method may be applied when information displayed in either
portrait, such as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, or landscape
orientations, such as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. While email
application information 902 is displayed in FIG. 9, an input
comprising a sustained touch 904, also referred to as a hover, is
detected at a location associated with a corner of the display
where a header for email information is displayed. Contact
information 906 is displayed at that end of the email
information.
While email application information 902 is displayed in FIG. 10, an
input, such as a gesture associated with the right side of the
display is detected, and contact information 1002 is displayed at
right side of the display. FIG. 10 shows the transition from
display of emails to display of contacts.
Alternatively, information may be displayed in a combined manner,
such that information from two or more sources is combined and
displayed. An example is shown in FIG. 11, which illustrates
combination of information from four different sources, email,
tasks, missed calls, and calendar. For example, in order to respond
to John Roberts 10:45 AM email asking whether a user can meet at 3
PM, the user may need information from multiple sources, such as
the calendar, task list, and missed calls, to answer the question.
Existing portable devices typically require the user to separately
open an application for each of these sources, requiring numerous
steps and time.
As shown in FIG. 11, information associated with four sources or
applications, email 1102, tasks 1104, missed calls 1104, and
calendar 1108, is combined into a single list or grouping of
information 1110 that is displayed. The portable electronic device
118 is shown in dashed lines to more clearly illustrate the list of
information 1110. When the information 1110 is displayed in one
window or field of the display 118, the list may advantageously be
scrolled through. The list may be referred to as an extended list
or extended message list. The information may optionally be
combined according to a parameter, such chronological or time
order, for further advantage, such as shown in FIG. 11. The user is
provided with a combined list of information that is easily
scrolled through to determine and answer to the question from
John's email. Further, the user is provided with the ability to
reply to the email from the same list of information. Optionally,
the portable electronic device 100 need not launch or open the
applications associated with the tasks, missed calls, or calendar.
This information may be obtained, for example, from information
stored on the portable electronic device 100.
Optionally, formatting of information on the extended list may be
provided to provide more easily identifiable information. For
example, different sources of information may have different
formatting, such as italicizing, shading, highlighting, coloring,
and so forth. For example, the missed calls and tasks are
italicized in the extended list 1110 of FIG. 11. Dates may
optionally be added to the list when information is associated with
multiple dates. For example, May 8 is added to the appointments at
the top of the list 1110 and May 6 is added to the missed call at
the bottom of the list 1108. The current date and time may be
displayed at a point in a chronological list where the current time
and date fit chronologically, such as shown in FIG. 11. Display of
current date and time more easily identifies the separation of past
and future items in the list 1110.
A flowchart illustrating a method of displaying information in
response to a gesture is shown in FIG. 12. The method may be
carried out by software executed, for example, by the processor
102. Coding of software for carrying out such a method is within
the scope of a person of ordinary skill in the art given the
present description. The method may contain additional or fewer
processes than shown and/or described, and may be performed in a
different order. Computer-readable code executable by at least one
processor of the electronic device to perform the method may be
stored in a computer-readable medium, device, or apparatus, which
may be a non-transitory or tangible storage medium. The method may
be applied in landscape or portrait orientation.
First information associated with a first source, such as a first
application is displayed 1202 on a display, for example, on a
touch-sensitive display 118 of an electronic device 100 such as a
portable electronic device. The first application may be any
suitable application, such as described above. The first
information associated with the first application is also described
above.
An input, such as a gesture, is detected 1204. Detection of the
input triggers display of second information for a second source,
such as a second application. The second application may be any
suitable application, such as described above. The information
associated with the second application is also described above. The
input may be considered to be a command associated with a second
application, which command requests or causes at least some
information associated with the second source or application to be
displayed. A number of gestures and gesture characteristics are
described above. The gesture may be first detected at or near an
edge of the display.
A first part of the second information is displayed 1206. The
second information may be displayed at any end of the first
information. For example, the first part of second information may
be displayed at the end of the first information that is displayed
when the gesture is detected 1204. The first part of second
information may be displayed at the end of the first information
that is associated with the gesture, such as the left or right side
of the display, such as shown in FIG. 10, or the top or bottom of
the information, such as shown in FIG. 13 through FIG. 24. The
first part of the second information may be, for example, a next
calendar event, a next task, a future event, a contact, a next
email, a next text message, a few lines of text, and so forth. The
first part of the second information may be gradually displayed
upon detection of the first part of the gesture. Display of the
first part of the second information may increase along with
movement of the gesture. For example, the information may
progressively move onto the display as the gesture continues, e.g.,
an amount of the first part of the second information may
correspond to a distance of the first part of the gesture.
Optionally, none of the second information may be displayed, and an
indication of detection of the gesture may be displayed instead,
such as an icon or symbol, or a change in the display of the first
information, such as a format change, blinking of information, or
other indication.
When the gesture is no longer detected at 1208, display of the
second information discontinues, and the first information is
displayed at 1202. For example, the user may realize that an
inadvertent gesture caused display of a small amount of the second
information or the indication of detection of the gesture, and the
user may discontinue the gesture. Alternatively, the user may only
be interested in the first part of the second information, and may
discontinue the gesture.
While the gesture continues to be detected 1208, and the gesture
does not meet a first threshold 1210, no additional amount of the
second information is displayed beyond the first part. By limiting
the amount of the second information that is displayed before the
gesture meets a first threshold, display of more of the second
information is avoided when the gesture is inadvertent or
unintended. Avoiding such inadvertent display prevents excess
processing and display of undesired information, thus reducing
needed processing and power resources. Thus, prior to the gesture
meeting the first threshold, no more than the first part of the
second information may be displayed while the gesture continues,
such as when the gesture comprises movement. After the first part
is displayed, when the gesture continues without meeting the
threshold, no change in display of the second information may
occur. The first threshold may comprise a distance of the gesture
or a distance from an edge of the display, such as an edge where
the gesture originated. For example, the threshold may be 25% of
the height of the display, 2 cm, 6 lines of text, and so forth.
Alternatively, the first threshold may comprise a predetermined
time period, such as 1 second. Other thresholds and threshold
values may be utilized.
When the gesture continues to be detected 1208 and after the
gesture meets the first threshold 1210, a second part of the second
information is displayed, e.g., following the display of the first
part of the information. The second part of the second information
may be gradually displayed along with movement of the gesture. The
amount of the second part of the second information may correspond
to a distance of the gesture after the gesture meets the first
threshold. Less of the first information may be displayed as more
of the second information is displayed. The first information and
the second information may be combined in a scrollable list. The
first information and the second information may be chronologically
ordered, such as when the first information includes an inbox or
email information and the second information includes calendar
events or tasks. The second information may comprise future events
or information. The first information and the second information
may be displayed and scrolled in a single window or field. The
second information may be scrolled through after scrolling through
the first information. For example, when a swipe begins on the
display 118 and proceeds at least to any end of the display 118,
the first information and the second information may be scrolled
through substantially contiguously. Thus, both the first
information and the second information may be displayed in a
continuous stream of information, and information for two or more
applications may be displayed at the same time. The second
information may be displayed in any order, including chronological,
reverse chronological, alphabetical, reverse alphabetical, most
often accessed, and so forth. The information from two or more
sources, such as applications, may be combined and displayed,
rather than appending the information together.
When the gesture is no longer detected at 1214, display of the
second information discontinues, and the first information is
displayed at 1202. Display of as much of the second information as
the user is interested in seeing may have occurred, and the user
may discontinue the gesture.
When the gesture continues to be detected 1214 and after the
gesture meets a second threshold 1216, the second application may
optionally be opened or launched 1218. The second application may
or may not be running or launched when the gesture is initially
detected. Detection of the gesture need not trigger opening or
launching of the second application. The second information may be
stored for future display in response to the gesture, thus the
second information may be displayed without needing to open or
launch the second application. Optionally, the second information
displayed prior to the gesture meeting the second threshold may not
be selectable, and the second information displayed after the
gesture meets the second threshold may be selectable. The second
threshold is longer than the first threshold. For example, the
second threshold may be 50% of the height of the display, 4 cm, 12
lines of text, 4 items displayed from a list, and so forth.
Alternatively, the second threshold may comprise a predetermined
time period, such as 2 seconds. Other thresholds and threshold
values may be utilized.
When the gesture continues to be detected 1214 and after the
gesture meets a second threshold 1216, the first information and
the second information may be scrolled through 1220, for example,
as a single list is scrollable. For example, when the gesture meets
the second threshold, the second information may automatically
expand to fill the window or field, and the first information is no
longer displayed with the second information, although the first
information is available for scrolling as the gesture continues.
Continuation of the gesture results in scrolling through the
information in any direction, including back and forth or in a
reverse direction, such as described above. One manner of ending
the display of the second information includes scrolling the second
information off the display 1222. After the second information is
scrolled off the display 1222, the process continues at 1202, where
the first information is displayed without displaying the second
application. The process repeats when the gesture is detected
again. Optionally, the process of FIG. 12 may be applied to a third
application, where a gesture is detected that requests display of
third information for the third application. The gesture may be the
same gesture described above or an additional gesture. The third
information may be displayed, for example, at the bottom of the
first information, in between the first information and the second
information, to the side of the first information and/or the second
information, such as shown in FIG. 10, and so forth. Alternatively,
the third information may be combined together with the first
information and the second information in a single list, which may
optionally be chronologically organized, such as shown in FIG. 11.
Optionally, a single gesture may combine information for multiple
applications into a single list, such as shown in FIG. 11, and an
optional gesture may uncombined the list and return to display of
the first information. Examples applying the flowchart are shown in
FIG. 13 through FIG. 24.
An example of display of information in response to a gesture is
shown in FIG. 13 through FIG. 16. In this example, the first
information is an inbox, such as a unified inbox, and the second
information is calendar information. Alternatively, an email may be
displayed as the first information, and contact information, task
information, or calendar information may be displayed as the second
information. Other information may be displayed. The first part of
the gesture 1304 is detected in FIG. 13, while an inbox is
displayed. In response to detecting the first part of the gesture
1304, a first part of the second information 706 is displayed as
shown in FIG. 14. In this example, the first part of the second
information 706 comprises a next calendar event. Although a second
part of the gesture 1304 is detected subsequent to the first part
of the gesture 1304 in FIG. 15, no further display of the second
information is provided because the gesture has not met the first
threshold. Thus, display of the first part of the second
information 706 is maintained. Thus, the gesture has a resistive or
delayed character before more of the second information 706 is
displayed. The gesture may act in a resistive or sticky manner, for
example, as a spring, magnet, or other resistive device, as if a
force is overcome by the gesture before additional second
information 706 is displayed freely, e.g., display of second
information 706 increases or decreases along with movement of the
gesture. No more than the first part of the second information 706
may be displayed prior to the gesture meeting the threshold, or
while the gesture continues up to a predetermined length in
distance or time. When the gesture 1304 meets the first threshold,
an additional or second part of the second information 706 is
displayed as shown in FIG. 16. The third part of gesture is
subsequent to the second part of the gesture and is the part of the
gesture past the first threshold. The amount of the additional part
of the second information 706 may correspond to a distance of the
third part of the gesture. For example, if 3 calendar events are
displayed in 2 cm of the display, when the gesture continues 2 cm,
3 calendar events are displayed. When the gesture reverses
direction, fewer calendar events are disclosed. The first
information 702 is displayed in the remainder of the window or
field.
Display of second information in response to inadvertent gestures
is reduced, and unnecessary display is avoided when the gesture
shown in FIG. 13 through FIG. 16 is utilized. Other gestures may be
successfully utilized, such as described above.
Display of the second information may optionally be enhanced with
formatting. The second information may be displayed in a different
format prior to the gesture meeting the second threshold. After the
gesture meets the second threshold, the second information may be
displayed in the same format as the first information. For example,
by gradually changing the formatting of the second information as
the gesture continues, an indication may be provided of how near
the second threshold is. When the gesture is discontinued prior to
meeting the second threshold, display of the second information
ends. The end of the display of the second information may be
immediate, such as immediate discontinuation of the second
information, or more gradual, where the information quickly slides
off the display in the opposite direction to how the second
information was displayed, such as with an animation. This end of
display of the second information may be referred to as a snapback
of the second information. When the gesture continues past the
second threshold, the second information expands to fill the window
or field, displacing the first information. Formatting provides an
indication to the user of what will happen with display of the
second information if the user discontinues the gesture.
Alternative formats include providing or adding a background, such
as a background color or texture, shading, highlighting, tinting,
coloring of text, adding a band along the side of the second
information, and so forth.
An example of applying alternate formatting of the second
information is shown in FIG. 17 through FIG. 20. In this example,
the first information is an inbox, such as a unified inbox, and the
second information is calendar information. Alternatively, an email
may be displayed as the first information, and contact information,
task information, or calendar information may be displayed as the
second information. The second information may comprise further
events or information. Other information may be displayed. In this
example, FIG. 17 occurs after FIG. 13, where the first information
702 is displayed when the gesture is initially detected. The second
information 1706 begins to be displayed as shown in FIG. 17 in an
alternative format than the first information 702 as the gesture
1704 continues. In this example, the formatting comprises a narrow
cross-hatching of the second information 1706 in FIG. 17. When the
gesture 1704 continues, more of the second information 1806 is
displayed as shown in FIG. 18, where the formatting of the second
information 1806 includes cross-hatching that is wider than the
cross-hatching shown in FIG. 17. When the gesture 1704 continues
further, even more of the second information 1906 is displayed as
shown in FIG. 19, where the formatting of the second information
1906 includes cross-hatching that is much wider than the
cross-hatching shown in FIG. 17 and wider than the cross-hatching
shown in FIG. 18. In this example, the cross-hatching is gradually
widened as the gesture continues. The wider the cross-hatching, the
closer the gesture is to the second threshold. Thus, the formatting
of the second information is gradually changed as the gesture
continues. The gesture 1704 continues and meets the threshold, and
the alternative formatting is discontinues, as shown in FIG. 20,
where the first information 702 and the second information 2006 are
displayed in the same format, e.g., unaltered. When the gesture
1704 is discontinued at the point shown in FIG. 20, the second
information is expanded to fill the window or field. When the
gesture 1704 discontinues at any point in length from FIG. 17
through FIG. 19 (before the gesture 1704 meets the second
threshold), display of the second information discontinues, and the
first information is displayed, such as shown in FIG. 13.
An example of applying alternate formatting of the second
information is shown in FIG. 21 through FIG. 24. In this example,
the first information is an inbox, such as a unified inbox, and the
second information is calendar information. Alternatively, an email
may be displayed as the first information, and contact information,
task information, or calendar information may be displayed as the
second information. The second information may comprise further
events or information. Other information may be displayed. In this
example, FIG. 21 occurs after FIG. 13, where the first information
702 is displayed when the gesture is initially detected. The second
information 1706 begins to be displayed as shown in FIG. 21 in an
alternative format than the first information 702 as the gesture
1704 continues. In this example, the formatting comprises a dark
gray background for the second information 1706 in FIG. 21. When
the gesture 1704 continues, more of the second information 2206 is
displayed as shown in FIG. 22, where the formatting of the second
information 2206 includes a medium gray background that is lighter
than the gray shown in FIG. 21. When the gesture 1704 continues
further, more of the second information 2306 is displayed as shown
in FIG. 23, where the formatting of the second information 2306
includes a light gray background that is much lighter than the dark
gray shown in FIG. 21 and lighter than the medium gray shown in
FIG. 22. In this example, the background color is gradually
lightened as the gesture continues. The lighter the background
color, the closer the gesture is to the second threshold. Thus, the
formatting of the second information is gradually changed as the
gesture continues. The gesture 1704 continues and meets the
threshold, and the alternative formatting is discontinues, as shown
in FIG. 24, where the first information 702 and the second
information 2406 are displayed in the same format, e.g., unaltered.
When the gesture 1704 is discontinued at the point shown in FIG.
24, the second information is expanded to fill the window or field.
When the gesture 1704 discontinues at any point in length from FIG.
21 through FIG. 23 (before the gesture 1704 meets the second
threshold), display of the second information discontinues, and the
first information is displayed, such as shown in FIG. 13.
The alternative formatting of the second information may be
gradually changed as the gesture continues, as more second
information is displayed, as the second information is scrolled
onto the display, and so forth. The formatting changes may be very
gradual, such as a slight change every mm of movement of the
gesture, or the formatting changes may be less gradual, such as a
change in format each time a new item is displayed, such as a new
calendar item, a new task, a new email, and so forth. When the
alternative formatting of the second information gradually changes,
the change may transition gradually to no alternative formatting
when the gesture is at the second threshold. Alternatively, the
alternative formatting may be distinctly visible immediately before
the transition to no alternative formatting, resulting in a step
change of formatting of the second information when the gesture
meets the second threshold. Alternatively, the formatting may be
simple, in that one unchanging format is applied to the second
information prior to the second threshold and no alternative
formatting is applied to the second information once the second
threshold is met, e.g., the first information and the second
information have the same formatting. In this alternative, the
second information has two states, one alternative format and
unformatted or normal formatting. When the alternative format is
applied, a visual cue is provided to indicate, for example, that
release of the gesture results in snapback or discontinuation of
display of the second information. Optionally, the alternative
formatting may comprise a transitional formatting that is applied
to the second information at the transition between the application
of the alternative formatting at the beginning of the gesture and
the removal of the alternative formatting. The transitional
alternative formatting may be an animation, change of color, or
other formatting for a short distance, such as immediately before
gesture meets the second threshold, e.g., 5 to 10 mm. The second
information may have a single format or gradual formatting effect
prior to the transitional alternative formatting. The examples in
FIG. 21 through FIG. 23 show cross-hatching and background color as
format examples. Other formatting may be utilized and gradually
changed as the gesture continues, e.g., starting with a ghosted or
somewhat transparent display of the second information and
gradually rendering the second information in a more opaque or
dense manner as the gesture continues.
As described above, optionally, the second information displayed
prior to the gesture meeting the second threshold may not be
selectable, e.g., where the second information is not interactive
for input, and the second information displayed after the gesture
meets the second threshold may be selectable, e.g., where the user
may interact with second information to provide input based on the
displayed information. With this option, the second information is
not selectable when displayed in the alternative format, and is
selectable when not displayed in the alternative format, e.g., when
normally displayed or in a default format. As described above, the
second application may not be launched upon detection of the
gesture.
The amount or quantity of second information displayed increases or
decreases, or varies, along with movement of the gesture in the
examples of FIG. 17 through FIG. 24. The first information may
scroll out of the window or field as the second information scrolls
into the window or field, as shown in various figures. The first
information and the second information may be combined
chronologically in a scrollable list after the gesture meets the
second threshold. The second information may be temporarily
displayed, e.g., until the second information is scrolled off the
display, after which the first information is displayed without
displaying the second information until subsequent detection of the
gesture. Alternative formatting as described in conjunction with
the above examples may be utilized in conjunction with the
resistive gesture, such as shown in the example of FIG. 13 through
FIG. 16, or any other suitable gesture.
A method comprises displaying in a window or field first
information associated with a first source running on a portable
electronic device, detecting an input to display second information
associated with a second source, and displaying second information
associated with the second source and the first information in the
window or field.
A method comprises prior to detecting an input, displaying
information from a first source in a window or field of a portable
electronic device, detecting the input on the portable electronic
device, subsequent to detecting the input, displaying information
from two or more sources including the first source in the window
or field. The information from the two or more sources may include
information pertaining to at least one future event. The
information from the two or more sources may be combined and
displayed in chronological order. The input may be a gesture
requesting display of at least some information associated with a
source of information other than the first source.
A method comprises detecting, by an electronic device, a first part
of a gesture requesting display of second information. In response
to detecting the first part of the gesture, a first part of the
second information is displayed on a display of the electronic
device while detecting a second part of the gesture. In response to
detecting a third part of the gesture, a second part of the second
information is gradually displayed along with movement of the
second part of the gesture, wherein the second part of the second
information follows the first part of the second information, and
wherein the second part of the gesture follows the first part of
the gesture.
A method comprises displaying first information for a first
application in a window or field on an electronic device and
detecting, by the electronic device, a gesture requesting display
of second information for a second application. In response to
detecting the gesture, during a first part of the gesture, the
second information is displayed in a first format in a first part
of the window or field while the first information is displayed in
a second format in a second part of the window or field and during
a second part of the gesture subsequent to the first part of the
gesture, the second information is displayed in the second
format.
A method comprises displaying first information in a second format
in a window or field on an electronic device and detecting, by the
electronic device, a gesture requesting display of second
information for a second application. In response to detecting the
gesture, prior to the gesture meeting a threshold, scrolling the
second information in a first format into the window or field along
with movement of the gesture and, when the gesture meets the
threshold, displaying the second information in a second format in
the window or field.
A method comprises displaying first information in a second format
in a window or field on an electronic device and detecting, by the
electronic device, a gesture requesting display of calendar
information. In response to detecting the gesture: one or more
calendar events are gradually displayed in a first format in the
window or field while displaying at least some of the first
information in a second format before the gesture meets a
threshold, and the first format is gradually changed as the gesture
continues; and one or more calendar events are displayed in the
second format in the window or field after the gesture meets the
threshold.
Although a touch-sensitive display is described in the above
examples as the input device for gestures, other touch-sensitive
input devices, such as optical joysticks, optical trackpads,
trackballs, 3D input device, other navigation devices, and so
forth, may be utilized.
The present method and electronic device make opening or display of
information associated with a second application quicker, because
the user need not navigate to a home page or open multiple
applications to view information from multiple sources, such as
multiple applications. Further, the user need not switch between
multiple applications and/or windows to perform a task, such as
replying to an email with scheduling information or phone numbers,
because all the information may be displayed, for example, in
response to a simple gesture. Information related to both past
information, such as emails and missed phone calls, and future
events, such as calendar items or tasks, may be viewed in a single
field or window without having to switch between windows or
applications. All displayed information may be displayed
chronologically or by another order among the information from at
least two applications. Information from multiple sources may be
scrolled through in a single list. Because the first information
and the second information may be integrated in a single list in
one window or field, the first information and the second
information are scrollable together, and with the ability to review
both the first information and the second information with a single
input, e.g., with a swipe to scroll, the user need not navigate
elsewhere to open a separate application to obtain desired
information. An optional resistive gesture reduces processing of
inadvertent gestures by reducing display of second information, for
example, until the gesture meets a threshold. Optional alternative
formatting of the displayed second information indicates whether
the gesture meets a threshold that determines, for example, whether
the second information continues to be displayed after the gesture
terminates or whether the second information is selectable. The
various options described may be applied to display of information
for two or more applications, which may be displayed in any
orientation or arrangement with respect to each other.
The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms
without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The
described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as
illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the disclosure is,
therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the
foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and
range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their
scope.
* * * * *
References